Dr Wanda Spediacci had the judge’s book at today’s Ingham County Kennel Club show in East Lansing MI. Her final lineup included the English Springer Spaniel, GCH CH Ocoee Dsqd With A Vengeance, the Greyhound, CH Gaia’s Elfin Dance, the Great Dane, GCH CH Valhalla’s Ascent At Rochford, the Bedlington Terrier, GCH CH Kaylynn’s Party Crasher, the Shih Tzu, GCH CH Hallmark Jolei Austin Powers, the Xoloitzcuintli, GCH CH Bayshore Giorgio Armani, and the Smooth Collie, GCH CH Traveler’s Mustang Sally.

Grabbing the first big rosette of the set was the biggest among them, the Great Dane, Sierra. It’s the second this year for the three year old bitch. We are sure there will be more.

The Worcester County Kennel Club opened the action in New England with their day one show in Fitchburg MA. W Everett Dean Jr’s stellar seven were the ASCOB Cocker Spaniel, GCH Can CH HiTrails Clouds In My Eyes, the Borzoi, GCH CH Raynbo’s Run for the Roses, the St Bernard, GCH CH Jamelle’s Aristocrat v Elba, the Lakeland Terrier, CH Larkspur Arcadia Save Me a Spot, the Pug, GCH CH Foursquare I'll Be A Shostopa Tu, the Schipperke, GCH CH De LaMer Pink Flamingo, and the German Shepherd Dog, Pine Hill's Payday Of Hayshill.

His BIS was the Lakie, Spot. Wasn’t it just last week we made this one a DOG2WATCH? It’s the fourth for Spot and handlers RC & Sharon Carusi, the third in the last 30 days.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Savannah GA, one of the US’s most charming cities, was celebrated by Clint Eastwood in the movie, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”. Today it was made all the more charming by the Savannah Kennel Club’s opener featuring many of the top dogs in AKC.

The first BIS of the week went to the Skye, Buddy. Buddy and handler Larry Cornelius continue to dominate the Terrier Group with 103 Group Firsts. Today was the 15th BIS this year for the top winning Skye in AKC history. We did tell you there would be excitement.

Our show week is already underway today in Savannah GA where the hometown Savannah Kennel Club opened a four day set they share with the Beaufort Kennel Club. With five of the Top Ten Dogs All Breeds entered today, we are expecting some major excitement out of this one. The only other four day cluster available in the US this week is out in Yuma AZ starting tomorrow with the Yuma Kennel Club & the Imperial Valley Kennel Club hosting. The Edwardsville Illinois Kennel Club will offer up two shows this weekend in Belleville IL and will sweeten the deal with three limited breed shows on Friday courtesy of the Gateway Sporting Dog Association, the Gateway Terrier Association , & the Gateway Non-Sporting Dog Club.

The remaining options are all of the Saturday/Sunday variety. In the North it’s two with the Worcester County Kennel Club in Fitchburg MA, two in East Lansing MI with the Ingham County Kennel Club, or two with Kankakee River Valley Kennel Club in Kankakee IL. Down here in the South, our choices are two in Gulfport MS with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Kennel Club or a weekend in Conroe TX with the Conroe Kennel Club. Our only West coast offering is in the Northern California town of Vallejo with the Santa Cruz Kennel Club & the Kennel Club Of Salinas, who decided to move their post Christmas shows to a more holiday friendly time frame.

As we wind down the year, you have fewer and fewer chances to see this year’s crop of dogs, many of which will be retiring in the new year. Take in an AKC dog show this week. You will still have time to Christmas shop.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Post Thanksgiving our attention is focused on the upcoming AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando FL on December 17th & 18th. We will be there for the return to Florida to bring you all the results and lots of back stories. This is the first in a number of previews of the big event.

Breed counts are out and they are impressive. There are 3,678 dogs entered in the regular classes with the Boston Terrier leading the way with 64 entries, followed by the Vizsla with 61 and the Rhodesian Ridgeback and French Bulldog with 57 entries each. Rounding out the top five is AKC’s most popular breed, the Labrador Retriever, with 56 entries. We were impressed with how well represented some of AKC’s rarer breeds are. The Bedlington Terrier, which ranks 140th in registrations, anted up 25 entries and the iconic American Foxhound, next to the bottom in registrations, has a very credible 12 entries. Check out the Onofrio website for complete entry counts.

The show returns to Orlando FL, where it all began in 2001, after five years in Long Beach CA. Orlando’s easy accessibility and the fact that 60 percent of the US population lives east of the Mississippi promises enthusiastic participation in future years.

Monday, November 28, 2011

The weekend is officially over with the completion of the day two final of the San Joaquin Kennel Club. Mary Anne Brocious chose her best of the Weimaraner, GCH CH Silhouette’s LifeInTheFastLane, the Whippet, GCH CH Starline’s Chanel, the Portuguese Water Dog, CH Roseknoll’s Emerald Sea, the Smooth Fox Terrier, GCH CH Slyfox Sneaks A Peek, the Havanese, GCH CH Bellatak McDreamy, the Miniature Poodle, GCH CH Rio Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and the German Shepherd Dog, GCH CH Suboja’s Army’s Soldier.

Grabbing the last BIS of the set was the spectacular Weimaraner, Jimmie. Jimmie, the Number One Weimaraner in the US, and handler Keith Pautz have eight all breed BIS and 45 Sporting Groups, making him the Number Four Sporting Dog.

Before we start with today’s results let’s give you the last of the weekend. The Number One Dog All Breeds, the Black Cocker Spaniel, GCH CH Casablanca’s Thrilling Seduction, removed all doubt that he would be the top dog of 2011, by pulling off the hat trick in Montgomery AL, taking the top prizes at the Anniston Kennel Club, the Tuscaloosa Kennel Club, & the Montgomery Kennel Club shows.

Challenging Beckham in Dr Gareth Morgan-Jones’s final for the Anniston KC were the Pharaoh Hound, GCH CH Northgate’s As You Like It , the Boxer, CH Ho-Pas Grand Slam, the Australian Terrier, GCH CH Kambara’s Zebulon, the Maltese, GCH CH Rhapsody’s Regarding Henry, the Bichon Frise, CH Mon Amis Real Good Time , and the Shetland Sheepdog, GCH CH Kylene Eden The Dragonslayer.

The Australian Shepherd, GCH CH Myshara’s Dream Girl, would join Beckham in Jacqueline Stacy’s Montgomery KC Sunday final along with the aforementioned Whippet, Great Dane Australian Terrier, & Bichon.

Beckham finishes the month with 65 all breed Bests and more than 13,000 points on the rest of the field.

Our next report comes in from Alvarado TX where the Cen-Tex Kennel club was set up for two days. Read about day one here. Don Sutton had the closer and the company of the Weimaraner, GCH CH Win'Weim's It's My Grey Goose, the Saluki, GCH CH DC Shahtani Ivory Moon SC, the Great Pyrenees, GCH CH Bigrig's Cadet Polar Bearr, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, GCH CH Angranian Derry Mucker, the Bichon Frise, GCH GH Saks Hamelot Little Drummer Boy, and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, GCH CH Aubrey's Tails Of Mystery.

His BIS was the nation’s Number Ten Dog all Breeds, Drummer. Drummer is finishing the year with a flourish, collecting four all breed Bests this month for a total of 25 this year.

NUMBER EIGHT

NUMBER NINE

NUMBER TEN

SHOW INFO

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The author has been attending dog shows as a spectator and exhibitor for over 45 years. He is a retired management consultant who has advised multiple organizations affiliated with the AKC and the Cat Fanciers Association on business management, long range planning, customer service, and legislative matters. After 25 years of living in the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, he now resides in his hometown of Memphis, TN.

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